Pickup apparatus for aerial cargo



B. COWG ILL, JR PICKUP APPARATUS FOR AERIAL CARGOS April 12, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1945 INVENTORY Harzyb. oagzY/J ATTORNEYS.

APP;l 1949- I H. B. COWGILL, JR 2,467,112

PICKUP APPARATUS FOR AERIAL CARGOS Filed April 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ffil Y INVENTOR- Hazzybi (bayfllfl;

-' ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE PICKUP APPARATUS FOR AERIAL CARGO Harry B. Cowgill, Jr; Rockville Centre, N. Y.

Application April 18, 1945, Serial No. 588,919

Claims.

This invention relates to systems or apparatus useful in picking up cargo from the ground by air craft in flight.

Various attempts have been made to pick up cargo without necessitating landing of air craft, but the systems heretofore designed for the purpose were complicated and involved the use of cables which were too long and unwieldly to be practical and therefore likely to become easily deranged or tangled, and which moreover entailed dragging of the cargo on the ground over correspondingly long distances before it could be lifted into the flying craft.

My invention has for its chief aim to overcome the foregoing drawbacks, that it is to say to make possible the taking of cargo from the ground by a flying craft with surety and in such a way as to minimize the likelihood of accidents with injury to the crew of the craft or damage to the cargo. This objective is realized in practice as hereinafter more fully described, through provision of simple apparatus which is devoid of reels or other complicated winding devices; in which an elastic accelerating cable is connected at one end to a loop adapted to be picked up by an over traveling air craft and at the other end to an open top ground rail-guided carriage for cargo in the form of a package; and in which a relatively short flexible haul-in cable is attached to the cargo and likewise conected to the loop; and in which, as the package is eventually lifted out of the carriage at a time when the speed of the latter approximates that of the air craft, the accelerating cable is automatically loosed from the pickup loop to free the carriage from connection to the air craft.

In connection with a cargo pick-up system having the above attributes, I further aim to provide for automatic braking of the carriage as it nears the end of its prescribed run, as well as means for severing the accelerating cable in the event of failure in the automatic disconnection of the latter from the pick-up loop at the proper time to prevent the carriage from being pulled away by the air craft.

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows the top plan of a cargo pick-up apparatus conveniently embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows the organization in side elevation with an airplane in flight and about to pick up the cargo.

Fig. 3 is an end view looking as indicated by the angled arrows III-41f in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views on a larger scale in plan and in end elevation looking as respectively indicated by the angled arrows IV-IV and V-V in Fig. 2 of a combined guide means for the carriage accelerating cable and a safety mechanism for cutting the cable in case of mal operation of the apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a larger scale detail view of an automatically releasable hook by which the accelerating cable is connected to the catch loop of the haul-in cable.

Fig. 7 is a larger scale cross section taken as indicated by the angled arrows VII-VII in Fig. 2, of the track for the ground carriage into which the cargo is initially placed.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows VIII-VIII in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a view in side elevation likewise drawn to a larger scale and showing the catch hook and an operating cable therefor which I have provided on the airplane; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view on a still larger scale showing the catch hook in greater detail.

As herein delineated, my improved cargo pickup apparatus includes a pair of laterally-spaced supporting standards or posts l5 (Figs. 1-3) from the tops of which a pick-up loop I6 is loosely hung in readiness to be caught and taken by a projection in the form of an elongate hook I! pivot ally suspended from the body of an over-passing airplane P. From Figs. 9 and 10 it will be observed that the shank of the hook I! is composed of several telescopically interengaged sections l8, and that with said hook is associated a smaller auxiliary hook l9 which is secured to the end of a hoisting cable 20 and has a lug-projection 2| curved to fit over the rounded nose end of the main hook ll. Spring clips 22 and 23 respectively are relied upon to releasably hold the auxiliary hook l9 and the immediately adjacent end portion of the cable in place on the main hook I! as shown in full lines in Fig. 10.

At 25 in Figs. 2, 3 and 6 is indicated a coupling element, which, through an eye 26 swivelly connected to the top of its body 21 is slidably engaged with the pick-up loop l6. Fulcrumed at 28 on the lower end of the body 21 of the coupling element 25 is a self-opening gravity hook 29 for engagement by a swivel eye 30 at one end of an elastic accelerating cable 3| of nylon or the like which will again be referred to presently.

For the purpose of normally holding the hook 29,

closed I have provided a pivoted keeper 32 which is yieldingly held in the position shown by a helical spring 33 compressed between the tail 34 of said keeper and the bottom of a lateral opening 35 in the body 21 of the coupling element 25. Both the keeper tail 54 and the body 21 are apertured for passage of the headed shank of a swivel eye 36 whereto one end of a flexible haul-in cable 31 is permanently attached. This haul-in cable 31 may likewise be of nylon or the like and will also be referred to again presently.

Located centrally between the posts 15 is a base 38 from which rises a bearing standard 39 for a horizontal axis sheave 46 about which the accelerating cable 31 is trained to pass vertically downwardly from the loop and then horizontally forwardly (as considered with respect to the direction of plane flight indicated by the large arrow in Fig. l) to a vertical axis pulley 4| disposed at a substantial distance from the sheave 40. As previously explained, one end of the accelerating cable 3! is engaged in the hook 29-of the coupling member 25, its other end being fixedly connected to a slide carriage 42 which is confined to a track 53 arranged along a line radial to the sheave ll immediately beyond its front end at an acute angle to the line of intended flight as shown in Fig. 1. The channel rails 55 of the track 43 are arranged with their flanges facing inwardly, see Figs, 7 and 8, and supported by brackets '55 from suitably spaced ties 41. As further shown in Fig. '1, the side edges of the bottom or foundation frame of the carriage are longitudinally recessed for. retainment of liners 48 of Insurock" or the like which bear against the top and bottom surfaces of the upper guide flanges of the track rails 45.

Located at a point well toward the outer (righthand) end of the track 45 (Figs. 1 and 2) is a braking means 55 for the details of which reference will again be had to Figs. '1 and 8. As there illustrated, this braking means 55 includes a pair of friction shoes 51, which, in practice, may be fashioned from heavy bar metal each with one end fulcrumed for up and down movement on studs 52 projecting inwardly from the rails 15, being yieldingly urged upwardly by springs 53.

The cargo to be picked up is exemplified as a bundle C (Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8) with an encircling band B and an eye E for engagement by a snap hook 54 atthe remote or outer end of the haul-in cable 31.

Mounted on the base 38 with the sheave 40 (Figs, 1-5) is a device 55 for severing the accelerating cable 3| to free the car 12 from the plane during or at the conclusion of the pick-up operation and thereby obviate mishaps in the event of failure of the apparatus. Briefly described, the severing device 55 comprises a knife blade 55 which normally lies crosswise above the accelerating cable 3! and which is fulcrumed to :an upstanding bracket 51 on the base 38 with its free end resting on a displaceable trip block 58 interposed between it and a pad 55 on said'base. The knife blade 56 is biased downwardly-by a spring 50, and the block 58 provided with an extended arm projection placed so as to be in the path of a trip collar 62 on the cable 3!.

Theoperation of the apparatus is as follows: As the plane P travels overhead, it is maneuvered so that its pick-up hook [1 which was-previously lowered, engages the pick-up loop [6 hanging loosely'from the supporting posts 1 5. In being carried along by virtueof its connection to .the loop l6 by the coupling element 25, the accelerating cable 3| is strained and in stretching ,graduallyaccelerates the slide car llcontaining pulled out of the clips 23 the package C. With passage of the plane P over the gradually accelerating carriage 42, the haulin cable 31 is slack, but as the plane moves on and leads the carriage it becomes taut and eventually lifts the cargo from said carriage at about the time the latter nears the end of its prescribed run on the track 43. The tension induced in the haul-in cable 31 by the weight of the package C is effective in actuating the keeper 32 associated with the coupling element 25 to free the hook 29, which, in swinging downward, releases said cable. In its further travel, the car 42 encounters the friction members 5| of the brake means and is thereby gently brought to rest, leaving the cargo suspended by the loop 15 and the haul-in cable 31 from the airplane P, with said loop caught in the auxiliary hook I9 associated with the main pick-up hook l1 and attached to the end of the hoisting cable 25. With the cargo now suspended, the cable 26 (Fig. 10) is first The small hook 19 then pivots on lug 2| and in so-doing engages the loop I6, when, upon further pulling, said lug detaches itself from clip 22 and the cargo is hauled aboard. With this accomplished, the hook it is collapsed and in turn swung aboard.

If during the pick-up, the book 29 of the coupling element 25 should fail to open and release the accelerating cable 3 I the latter will be severed upon encounter of the stop 52 thereon with the trip block 58 :by which the knife 56 is released. As a consequence under these circumstances only a portion of the accelerating cable3l will be taken away with the cargo, but the carriage 42 allowed toremain on the ground.

It is to be particularly noted that the design of the apparatus is suchas to make possible the use of a relatively short haul-in cable 31, the length of which .issuch as will insure support of the cargo well before the carriage v42 attains the speed of the plane, so thata substantial part of the acceleration .is accomplished by stretching of this cable while the-cargo is suspended in the air. Thus, the size (diameter) of the cables 3! and 31, their relative lengths and the material from which they are made are important considerations for the successful picking up of cargo in accordance with myinve'ntion. .The use of a short .haul in cable is further advantageous in .thatit precludeslexcessive vibration or whipping .anopen carriage .for cargo in package form; a

track inadvance of the supportin means as considered with respect to the direction of flight to which the car is confined; an elastic accelerating cable connected at one end to the front of the carriage; .andahookby which the other end of the .cable ;is..connected to-thepick up loop, said hook having a keeper by which it is releasable; a vertical axis sheave at the front end of the track and ahorizontal axis sheave at the loop support about which thecable passes; andan initially slack haul-in cable extending rearwardly .from the package in .the carriage and having its end connected to the releasing keeper of :the

hook, said keeper releasing said hook when the haul-in cable is tensioned as the package is eventually lifted from the carriage to disconnect the carriage accelerating cable from said loop.

2. Pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for automatically checking the speed of the carriage upon disconnection of the accelerating cable from the pick-up loop.

3. Pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for automatically severing the accelerating cable in the event that the releasing keeper of the hook fails to operate.

4. Pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, in which the carriage is slidably held to the track rails, and further including upwardly spring biased braking elements for frictionally engaging the carriage from beneath to bring it to rest upon disconnection of the accelerating cable from the pick-up loop.

5. Pick-up apparatus according to claim 1, further including means for automatically severing the accelerating cable before the carriage reaches the outer end of the track in the event REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,070,197 Snell Aug, 12, 1913 1,602,851 Holt Oct. 12, 1926 1,818,834 Zimmerman Aug. 11, 1931 2,014,557 Clampitt Sept. 17, 1935 2,102,604 Arndt Dec. 21, 1937 2,319,881 Ray May 25, 1943 2,334,979 Adams Nov. 23, 1943 2,341,324 Ingres Feb. 8, 1944 

